


santa please, bring my baby to me

by SunshineA



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Lives, Billy Hargrove Needs a Hug, Christmas Dinner, Fluff, Gay Billy Hargrove, M/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28015974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineA/pseuds/SunshineA
Summary: “Billy.”Billy stood by the steps, hands in the pockets of his jacket. His curls were sticking out from under his winter hat. His cheeks were rosy, too. He didn’t look at Steve.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 8
Kudos: 117





	santa please, bring my baby to me

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this came to me while I was dressing up my apartment for Christmas and listening to Wham!'s _Last Christmas_. It's unbetad, so sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

**_Christmas, 1984_ **

They gather at the Byers’ place after everyone is done with their family dinners on Christmas Eve. Steve picks up Dustin and Lucas on his way, the boys chattering about the size of the presents underneath their Christmas trees.

Steve stays quiet.

Christmas was never the best time of year for him, his parents stayed for a day, two tops, and then drove off, back to Chicago to take care of business. Last year he got to spend those couple of days at Nancy’s place, and he didn’t remember a better Christmas, if he was honest with himself. Even with Mr Wheeler being apathetic and eating whatever his wife made for the dinner so he wouldn’t have to engage in the conversation was better than the awkward and silent meals at the Harringrove household. Steve always felt like he was sitting with strangers, his parents rarely said anything to him, and when they did it was always about his grades and how he needed to start studying if he wanted to go to college.

Steve basically hated Christmas.

But he didn’t want to be a freak so he never really told anyone. Not even Nancy. He didn’t want to be the weirdo who thinks Christmas is the worst time of the year. So it was better for him to keep his mouth shut.

They arrive at the Byers’ house. It’s lit with colorful lights on the porch, the warm light pouring out of the window in the living room. It looked cozy and nice and _christmasy_ from where Steve was sitting in the driver’s seat and he felt his stomach twisting.

He was nervous.

“Are you coming?”

Dustin got out with Lucas, who didn’t wait for them and ran inside the house. Steve could hear the greetings before the doors closed behind him. But Dustin stayed and looked at Steve through the window, standing in the snow.

Steve opened his door and decided he needed to buy himself some time. He saw Wheeler’s station wagon on the driveway on his right and had to brace himself for what he was about to see; her and Jonathan, probably sitting on the couch together, holding hands. Steve did that last year, and now he was alone. Again.

“I’m just gonna smoke and be right behind you,” he replied to Dustin, who looked at him like he saw right through him.

“Okay,” he said and patted Steve on the shoulder before following in Lucas’ footsteps.

There was a stream of greetings as he entered, filling the cold air outside and making Steve’s stomach clench some more before it closed again and everything turned quiet.

It was snowing, small snowflakes flowing lazily through the air, falling to the ground on Steve’s beemer, making everything look almost friendly. And cozy. And _christmasy_. Steve hated himself for wanting to feel the spirit of Christmas everyone around him seemed to feel and revel in. He never knew it, never got to feel it, even at Nancy’s and he wished he could feel it just once before he grew up and Christmas turned into a silly race for presents for the kids and friends.

Not that Steve thought he’ll have any kids, when Nancy, his dream girl, left him for someone else. There is no other girl he could picture having a family with. Nance was _the one_.

He was halfway through his cigarette when he heard an engine rumble in the distance. Steve looked around the cars and saw who might be missing from the party.

It didn’t take long for the blue, snow covered Camaro to come into view. Steve stepped out of his car and shut the door, watching Hargrove-Mayfield step-siblings in the car. Billy stopped next to Steve’s beemer and there seemed to be some heated conversation going between him and Max.

She pointed at Steve at some point, and Steve had to turn away, brushing his fringe so it would cover his still purple eye and the scab on the line of his hair; sometimes he could still feel that plate hitting his head and fists landing on his face. The cold air did soothe the pain that still lingered on his battle scars, as the kids called it. For Steve those were just reminders of how shitty he was at fighting. He couldn’t even protect the kids properly that night. God only knows what would happen, if Max didn’t take charge.

Steve heard the door of the Camaro slamming shut. He turned his head and Max waved at him with a bright smile before heading inside. The knot on his stomach loosened a little, but it tightened back and twisted his gut even more when he saw Billy leaving his car.

He slowly stepped out onto the snow, a lit cigarette already between his lips. He avoided Steve’s eyes, and if it wasn’t for how alarmed Steve was, he would probably turn away from him, too. Hell, he was thinking to himself why wasn’t he rushing inside already. He didn’t want to get beat up again, not when he was still healing from their last fight and not with an even bigger audience now.

Steve stubbed his cigarette onto the ground and locked his car, turning to get inside the house. But Billy was already in front of him.

“I’m not in the mood to fight with you,” Steve said slowly and made a step to the side, wanting to go around Billy and leave him in the cold.

It would serve this California asshole good.

But Billy grabbed his wrist, the heat of his hand going through Steves’s jacket. He pulled his hand away quickly, heart racing.

“I just--” Billy started. He gritted his teeth, pulled a long drag from his cig and still avoided Steve’s eyes. “I want to say… fuck. I want to say, I’m sorry.”

He glanced at Steve just for a short moment, and turned his gaze away, staring at the door of the beemer.

Steve was… dumbstruck.

He didn’t expect _that_.

“W-wha-- you’re what?” he asked, taking a step back to have a better look at Billy.

Hargrove sighed, somewhere between pissed and tired, and brushed his hair back. Finally, he looked at Steve again, properly this time.

“I’m sorry for beating you up,” he said, weighting every word on his tongue. “It’ll never happen again.”

Steve blinked, still in disbelief at what he just heard.

There was no way in hell Billy decided to apologize to him on his own. Ever since the fight - from which Billy looked almost as bad as Steve, and Steve didn’t remember hitting as much as Billy did him - they avoided each other. Billy kept away in the halls, during their english class together, and even during basketball practice. It was like Max’s threats actually worked. But then, Steve would listen to anyone who would threaten his balls with a nail bat.

The point was, they had not interacted with each other in any way since the fight almost two months ago, and Billy apologizing after this time was unexpected and… actually, pretty scary, too.

“Um,” Steve looked around, as though to find some excuse to not have this conversation right now. “Um, thanks, I guess.”

He looked at the window of the Byers’ living room, and saw a head of locks disappearing at the bottom. He cursed Dustin for hiding so fast. Maybe he would see Steve and come out and help him.

And that was almost as pathetic as getting beat up by Billy.

They stood next to each other on the snow, the small flakes still falling from the sky and landing on Billy’s meticulous curls. It almost made him look friendly.

“You want a smoke?” came the question and Steve considered for a moment.

Just for a moment.

_Fuck it._

“Sure, why not,” he shrugged.

Billy handed him a pack with a lighter inside, his second smoke already between his lips. Steve sat on the side of the beemer’s hood and lit up one for himself, giving the pack back to Billy. He still stood awkwardly next to Steve so he patted a spot next to him, inviting Billy to rest on his car as well.

If it was a time of miracles, as people always said about Christmas, maybe Billy Hargrove apologizing to Steve was one as well.

Billy shook his head and instead rested his hip on the door. They smoked in silence, Steve watching the snow cover Wheeler’s car more and more.

When he was done with his smoke, he stubbed it in the white fluff under his feet and stood up.

“Wanna join the party?” Steve asked, tilting his head towards the house.  
Billy looked at him with surprise, almost as big as Steve felt just minutes before.  
“No, um, I can’t,” he said in response, hands pushed in the pockets of his tight, too tight, jeans.

“Why?”

Billy just shook his head. “Tell Max I’ll pick her up around eleven. We have a curfew.”

“I can drop her off--”

“No,” Billy cut him off, harsh and sharp. “I’ll pick her up.”

Steve just nodded and started walking towards the house, somehow feelling a little lighter than he did when he was driving here. He stopped on the porch and watched Billy pull back from the driveway and disappear between the trees.

**_Christmas, 1985_ **

Billy Hargrove left the hospital two weeks before Christmas.

No one saw him, though.

It was a miracle he survived, being impaled on so many human-flesh-made tentacles… Steve still had nightmares about it. He could still remember sobering up after the drug the Russians gave him and Robin, fighting Billy before the final showdown in the middle of Starcourt. Steve remembered everything up until the point of the weakening Mindflayer crushing into the balcony he and Robin were on. The image of Billy standing over Eleven and then protecting her never left his mind, and he knew it wouldn’t leave for a long time.

When he found out after that Billy actually survived it _somehow_ , and the man in yellow safety uniforms took him to a lab no one could locate, he was… relieved. And happy. And frustrated. That Max couldn’t see him, that _he_ couldn’t see him, even for just a moment to make sure he was okay.

After three months they moved Billy to a hospital in Chicago. Max went whenever she could convince her mom and Billy’s dad to get her there. Never once she asked Steve if he could take her, and he would. He would jump in his beemer and take her on the other side of the country if he had to, he would do almost everything to make sure that Billy was okay.

Max kept the whole party up to date when it came to Billy. The kids still disliked him, but he did save Eleven, and they didn’t forget that. Just as they didn’t forget how much of an asshole he was to them.

Then at the beginning of December Max came to Mike’s and told the party that Billy was coming back in a week. Steve found out from Dustin, who came to him the next day for their movie night. Steve was still working at Family Video, so whenever there was a new movie on VHS Dustin was alway at his place by the end of the week.

“I wonder how he looks,” Dustin said around a mouthful of microwaved popcorn.  
Steve felt his gut twisting, and took a gulp of his beer.

He wondered how Billy might look after Starcourt and being away for so long. He was probably extremely skinny. And scarred. Maybe he still had his hair, perhaps it was even longer now. Steve liked Billy’s hair, liked how it felt between his fingers when they kissed in his car in the dark corners of the woods. So no one would catch them.

Steve stayed up at night, wondering how Billy looked, how he felt, if he was the same Billy, or if he was a ghost of himself. Steve wondered and wondered, but one thing he knew for certain. He would still like Billy, he still did like him. Robin called him a sap for it. But he didn’t mind.

He just really wanted to see Billy Hargrove.

But he couldn’t.

The day Billy was supposed to be back, he had a shift at Family Video. He had his walkie-talkie with him, told Dustin to keep him updated and let him know if there was something happening, if Max needed any help.

There was nothing. For the whole day. Steve arranged all of the movies alphabetically on the stands, made sure each one was under the right category. He cleaned up the whole place, even behind the counter, where he kept coming back every few minutes to check on the walkie-talkie.

But no one was there.

The days after that were quiet as well. Max didn’t join any of the meetings. Told the Party on the radio she would be at the Christmas dinner at Steve’s place.

Oh, right. Since Joyce took her kids out of Hawkins, there was no place to have a Party Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. Steve offered his place, since his parents didn’t come home this year, they picked Paris over their son.

Robin offered to help, Dustin’s mom promised to make some food as well, and everything was set. Even Joyce promised to come with El, Will and Jonathan.

Steve had no idea if Billy would come. He didn’t respond to the invitation the Party had sent through Max. It looked like they wanted to thank him for saving Eleven.

The 24th came and Steve rushed to get home after his shift to get everything ready. He picked up Dustin and the food his mom prepared for them on the way and once they got there, they both started preparing the house. Robin joined them after locking up the Family Video and soon after her the Party started to gather.

Steve waited by the door for everyone, anxiously shuffling his feet every time he heard a car driving up his driveway. He looked through the small tinted window by his door, hoping to see the car belonging to the Hargroves. First came Joyce with her kids. Mike and Nancy joined soon after and the Harringrove house filled with a lively and happy chatter.

Steve enjoyed it, but not as much as he could, since there were still a couple of people missing.

“Stop hovering.”

Robin jabbed her finger into the flesh of Steve’s arm, joining him by the door.

“I’m not hovering,” he replied quietly, rubbing his arm.

Robin rolled her eyes at him, pushed a glass of warm tea in his hand and pulled him away from the entrance.

“Enjoy this,” she said softly, as they entered the living room, where everyone was waiting for the last of the Party to join. “You deserve this.”

Steve looked at everyone and couldn’t help, but smile.

This was the most he felt like he was home in his years, with people he shared so many dark secrets with.

Robin was right, he should enjoy this while it lasted.

There was a bell at the door and he jumped in his spot, but Robin put a hand on his arm.

“I’ll get it.”

Steve just nodded and walked further into the living room, standing beside Joyce, who kept herself on the side, while kids were catching up.

“It’s so nice of you to have us all,” she smiled at Steve as he approached her.

She radiated mom energy all over and Steve almost felt the pull when he got closer. He smiled back at her, shrugging.

“It’s no big deal. My parents aren’t coming so I thought I’ll make use of the space for once.”

“Oh, honey,” she sighed sadly, and wrapped her arm around him, pulling him in. “I’m so sorry.”

“No need,” Steve replied, leaning against her a bit. “I like having you all around.”

She smiled at him again, rubbing his arm.

The Party started chattering even louder when Lucas walked inside, and immediately went for Will and Eleven. They greeted each other, all smiles and hugs and so much noise, Steve’s ears almost hurt. But he knew he wouldn't trade it for the world.

He loved the little shits, even though he would never tell them that. They probably knew that already. With them all around Steve felt light and loved and… not alone. They were like a huge family he got picked for, and no matter the circumstances he really wouldn’t trade it for the world; not when they made him feel so much better just by being here, filling up the big empty space.

There were still two people missing in Steve’s family, though.

But before Steve could ask the question, it fell from El’s mouth.

“Is Max coming?” she asked after hugging Lucas.

“Yeah, she should be here soon. There’s just some trouble at home.”

“Something about old Hargrove?” Jonathan perked up from his and Nancy’s spot in the lounging chair, where they sat down almost as soon as she got here.

Everyone knew about Billy’s dad for some time now. It was after one rather bumpy trip to Chicago’s hospital. Max called a meeting with the whole Party, even Steve and Robin, and told them what was going on the whole time in her home. And that… that explained a lot.

Why Billy was the way he was, and why he seemed to hate himself for meeting with Steve in secret. She told them about an incident in California that led to them moving to Hawkins. And how it was a miracle Billy didn’t run, she said back then. Cause she would run as far away from Neil Hargrove as she could after what he did to Billy. And Steve couldn’t help but agree.

He was worried about Billy coming back to this house, where he wasn’t welcome, where he was treated worse than a cockroach. Where he was abused over the smallest things his dad didn’t like. Why he never said anything to him, Steve had no idea. BUt since he found out about Neil, he was thinking about a way to get Billy out of there.

“As always,” Lucas rolled his eyes. “There was some bull about spending this time with family.”

Steve snorted at that.

“Like they ever were a family,” Joyce said quietly, arms wrapped around herself. Will probably told her about Max’s story. “This poor boy…”

A silence followed after her words, everyone staring everywhere but at someone.

Steve walked out of the living room, heading for the kitchen. He set his now lukewarm tea in the sink and took a deep breath.

All he wanted to do was drive to Cherry Lane and take Billy out of there, from that awful place.

He knew it probably wasn’t the best idea, not now anyway.

He started pulling out the food from the fridge, deciding it was about time to heat everything up for the dinner. Robin wordlessly joined him after a few moments. She knew when to give him space and when to just stay with him. Steve loved her for that, she knew him too well by now.

Soon enough Joyce joined in to help them, and the kids took care of the table in the dining room. Some Christmas songs were playing in the background and Steve was taken over by the atmosphere; he even started muttering words to _Last Christmas_ when it came on.

They were almost ready to sit down and start the feast when Steve noticed through the kitchen window a car stopping on his driveway. He couldn’t stop a gasp and looked at Robin, who was still in the kitchen with him.

“You think he’s--”

“Go and check,” she said with a small smile.

Steve rushed to the door, opening it just when fist knock sounded through the hallway.

Max was standing there, a pie in her arms, smile bright and cheeks rosy from the low temperature outside.

“Hi!” she went in and hugged Steve with one arm before pushing inside.

Everyone in the dining room started cheering a couple seconds later, but Steve didn’t hear them.

He was so skinny. Skinnier than Steve had imagined. Even in his winter jacket and warm clothes he looked so small, so unlike himself, Steve’s heart almost broke. He took a small step outside, the door closing behind him.

“Billy.”

Billy stood by the steps, hands in the pockets of his jacket. His curls were sticking out from under his winter hat. His cheeks were rosy, too. He didn’t look at Steve.

He took a step closer, but kept himself at arm’s length away from Billy. He had no idea what to expect, if Billy still… liked him, or not. If he remembered or not. Max mentioned he had holes in his memory.

“Are you--”

“If you ask me if I’m okay, Imma slap you, I swear to God,” Billy groaned and finally looked at Steve.

His cheeks were hollowed, dark circles were visible under his eyes. His big, blue eyes, the same that Steve finally fell for after fighting for too long, were still the same, though.

“I wasn’t gonna ask,” Steve piped out in response.

Billy rolled his eyes at him, lips spreading in a smirk. He looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it and just turned his vision back to the ground.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Steve said quietly and shuddered lightly from the cold.

“I didn’t want to,” Billy admitted after a heartbeat. “But-- Max needed a ride, and…”

Steve wrapped his arms around himself, eyes locked on Billy the whole time. He wanted nothing more right now, but to hug him and kiss him silly.

“And?” he prompted, risking another small step forward.

“And I,” Billy took a deep breath, air leaving his nose in a small cloud. “I wanted to-- to see you.”

Steve really couldn’t help himself. He smiled so bright, he got warm all over, no matter the cold and the fact he didn’t wear any jacket. He was so happy to hear Billy say it, it wouldn’t matter if he was out just in his underwear.

“I wanted to see you, too.”

“Then why didn’t you come?” Billy asked, his voice accusatory almost. He looked at Steve again and his eyes were filled with hurt and anger.

Steve expected that, though. Went through every possible scenario of meeting with Billy after he left the hospital and that was one of them. Billy being angry at him.

“I wanted to give you some space.”

“Who told you I need _some space_?”

“Um…” Steve blinked, lips parted. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you were in a hospital for over five months, Billy--”

Billy’s nostrils flared, his face turned almost red, eyes narrowed and looking straight at Steve.

“So I had all the space I needed and fuckload more!” he _barked_ and pointed his skinny finger at Steve.

Steve in turn grinned, grinned so wide it made Billy even more furious. He could see his chest rising, gathering up the strength for another outburst, but Steve didn’t let him.

He closed the distance between them, put his cold hands on Billy’s warm cheeks and kissed him. He poured all his longing into it, all his feelings he had for that small boy that looked so unlike himself, yet still remained almost the same.

Billy gasped against Steve’s lips, frozen in place for a small second before wrapping his arms around him and pulling closer.

Steve leaned against him, a small sigh leaving his lips.

“I really thought you wouldn’t come,” he whispered, resting his forehead against Billy’s.

“And let my pretty boy have that god awful dinner without me?”

Steve breathed out a laugh, shaking his head before he kissed Billy again.

Billy felt him shiver as they stayed close and pulled the jacket around Steve, pulling him closer into his heat. Because Billy ran hot like the California sun, even after being locked away for so long. Steve missed that. Missed _Billy_.

“Don’t die on me again, okay?” Steve pulled back and looked Billy straight in the eyes. “Never ever.”

Billy rolled his eyes at him, lips spreading into that grin that had Steve’s knees go weak wherever they were.

“Never ever,” Billy promised, pecking Steve’s lips one more time. “Let’s get inside before they think we killed each other.”

“Oh, because they still are supposed to think you don’t like me and I don’t like you?”

“Yup.”


End file.
